Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an impressive original German WWII NSDAP political banner subsequently acquired by a member of the U.S. Army’s 259th Field Artillery Battalion and signed by 54 American servicemen. Measuring an imposing 114” long by 48” wide, the double-sided cotton banner retains its sewn construction, suspension header, and wartime veteran signatures within the white central discs.

The condition is overall excellent, likely being sent home by the American soldier after having it signed. There is some minor staining and tearing in spots across the flag, but this does not detract at all from its attractiveness and displayability. Research into some of the names shows that this banner was captured by a member of the 259th Field Artillery Battalion, and signed by 54 of his comrades. The soldiers only signed their names, not their addresses like on other examples we’ve had, which does make researching each individual soldier a bit more difficult. 

One side of the flag is signed by 48 men, and the other side is signed by 6 men. All signatures are within the white circles. Some of the names are extremely faded and are now nearly impossible to read, but most are still legible. 

Some of the names include Warner Brickey, Daniel W. Hughes, Frank Ross, Chas. (Charles) L Vassallo, Ernest E. Wagner, Hildreth M. Aliff, Woodrow A. Hodges (Awarded Bronze Star Medal), Victor J. Pizonk(?), and Major W.G. Brasfield. The last name is Major Williamson Glover Brasfield Jr., who is actually mentioned by name in the only available history of the unit, that being an experience report written by John L. Hancock. 

The 259th Field Artillery Battalion was activated on January 25, 1943, at Camp Swift, Texas. It fought in the European Theater during World War II, earning four campaign streamers for Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe, before inactivating at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on March 10, 1946.

There is much more research to be done on the individual names on the flag, but we have provided a great start here. 

The signatures suggest that the banner was circulated among members of the battalion before being sent or carried home. Such signed enemy flags became highly personal souvenirs, recording the names of soldiers who had served together and preserving a direct connection between the object and the men who brought it back from Europe.

The unusually large 48 x 114” size, surviving suspension loops, and 54 American signatures give this banner substantially more historical context than an unsigned political flag. The presence of Major Williamson Glover Brasfield Jr., whose service with the 259th Field Artillery Battalion is independently documented, provides an especially useful anchor for continued research into the remaining names.

The NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), was originally founded in Munich as the DAP, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (German Worker’s Party), on January 5TH 1919. When Adolf AH joined the DAP in the autumn of 1919 he was to reform what was basically a debating society into an active political party. Appointed as the first chairman of the party on July 29TH 1921 AH was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy of four levels of government.